How to reconnect Amazon Echo and Alexa to your Wi-Fi network
Most smart home devices can be described as 'set-it-and-forget-it,' where you install something once, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, and leave it to work happily until you one day decide to replace or upgrade it.
But sometimes, things go wrong, and your devices fail to connect to your Wi-Fi router. Perhaps you have moved the device out of range, and it can't get a signal, or maybe you have installed a new router, created a new network, moved house, or taken a device to a holiday home.
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Here, we will explain how to reconnect an Amazon Echo smart speaker to your Wi-Fi network (or a new network) without performing a factory reset.
First, if your Echo smart speaker can't connect to the Wi-Fi network, its light should turn orange. If you see this, open the Alexa smartphone app, and follow these instructions:
- Tap on the menu icon in the top-left corner
- Tap on Settings
- Tap on Device Settings
Tap on the word Change to the right of the Wi-Fi Network. Now scroll down until you find the Echo device you want to reconnect. Even if the device is offline, the Alexa app will still show its Wi-Fi settings and the network name it tries to connect to in your space.
The Alexa app will now check that your Echo is plugged into a wall outlet, displaying an orange light. Tap yes, and the app will start searching for that Echo. If your Echo has a blue light instead but isn't connected, press and hold the Action button (the one with the dot) for six seconds until the light turns orange.
Next, the Alexa app should directly connect your phone and Echo speaker. If this doesn't happen, go to your phone's settings app and join the new Wi-Fi network the Echo has just created, which will be called something like "Amazon-AB12."
Once connected to that network, Alexa will speak from the Echo to say you're connected, and you can now return to the Alexa app to complete the setup. Now tap on the Wi-Fi network you want to connect the Echo to, enter its password, and tap Connect.
Alexa will speak again to confirm the Echo has successfully connected to the network, and that's it. Your Amazon Echo is now reconnected.
How to reconnect Echo Show and Spot to the Wi-Fi network
Things are much easier with Echo devices with touchscreens, like the Echo Show, Show 5, and Spot. All you have to do is swipe down from the top of the screen, tap on the cog-shaped settings icon, and tap Wi-Fi.
Now scroll through the list of available networks, tap the one you want to connect to, and enter the password.
If this fails, you can perform a factory reset on the Echo and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. GearBrain has a guide here for factory resetting all Echo devices. Once reset, you can follow the above instructions to connect to your network.
Check out The GearBrain; our smart home compatibility find engine, to see the other compatible products that work with Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.Like GearBrain's content? Be sure to follow us.
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